The deep yearning of the soul for God's closeness and rescue is compared to the most intense anticipation known to humanity: waiting for the dawn. In the midst of darkness, whether a literal night or a metaphor for exile, the hope for light represents a profound desire for salvation, the end of suffering, and a chance for renewal. The concept of a watchman carries a dual meaning of physical alertness and deep, hopeful anticipation [מצודת ציון]. On a basic level, the soul longs for God more intensely than night guards on city walls wait for the sunrise. For these guards, the morning signifies the end of their difficult shift, the arrival of relief, and the opportunity to finally rest and sleep [אבן עזרא, מאירי, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The repetitive nature of this waiting reflects how guards comfort and encourage themselves throughout the long, dark hours by constantly remembering that the dawn will eventually break [אבן עזרא].
Taking this imagery into the realm of prayer, the focus shifts from physical guards to pious individuals living in exile. Their regular custom is to rise in the early hours to pray. In the darkness of the night, there is a powerful desire to connect with God and to be counted among those devoted people who wake early to seek Him every single morning [רד״ק, מאירי].
On a symbolic level, the morning serves as a representation of ultimate redemption, while the night embodies times of trouble and the darkness of exile [מאירי]. This reflects the experience of a person who continuously waits for freedom, hoping through one predicted end-time after another [רש״י]. This desire extends beyond personal salvation to a higher, spiritual dimension. The soul, understood as a piece of the Divine Presence that also suffers in exile, desperately yearns to escape its confinement and reach redemption. This spiritual thirst is far stronger than the simple anticipation of exhausted people waiting for the morning to renew their physical strength [אלשיך].
The unique intensity of waiting for God becomes clear when contrasted with the natural arrival of morning. While depending on human help is always uncertain, the arrival of the morning is an absolute guarantee. Yet, the dawn is strictly bound by the laws of nature and time; it can only appear after the required hours of night have passed. The hope placed in God is far greater, because His salvation is never restricted by the limits of nature or time. It can arrive at any moment, completely transcending all human expectations [מלבי״ם].